The Quest Nears Completion

Writers: Aaron, Estelle, Miriah
Date Posted: 14th June 2021

Characters: Brennault, Lorican, Lusilk, Wirnan
Description: Brennault returns to Sunstone with an armful of sword materials.
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 9, day 18 of Turn 10

Brennault

Lusilk

Wirnan

It had taken him just shy of two months, but Brennault had finally
gathered all of his payments, taken them to their respective places, and
obtained the actual components of the sword to deliver to Lorican. When
he landed at Sunstone again, he patted his friend's arm, slid down, and
gave scritchies to his dragon.

"Thanks for the ride! I shouldn't be too long, but if you want to head
back for now, I can send Marvel to ask you to come get me when I'm done."

Brennault headed toward the Hold and was again intercepted by the
Steward and a familiar guard. Brennault winked to the guard, who frowned.

"I see you have returned, Mister Runner, though once again not on your
own two feet. Tell me, do runners run these days, or do they borrow
wings for everything?" asked the Steward. He eyed the runner's
firelizard, clinging to his neck and shoulder.

Brennault held up the wrapped package containing his materials.

"I'm here to see Journeyman Lorican again," he explained. "I hope my
mode of transportation isn't a problem, Sir Steward."

"No. No problem at all. Run along then. I trust you remember where to
find him, but you won't begrudge me sending you an escort. In case you
get lost."

"Of course, sir," Brennault bowed. Marvel cheeped and held on more
tightly as Brennault did. He turned and returned to the place he had met
Lorican before.

"So," he said to the guard as they walked. "Have time for a drink before
I leave?"

The guard harumphed for an answer.

At last, Brennault reached the smithy, and Marvel flew up to the roof to
avoid the heat, noise, and stink.

"I'll be back in a bit, OK?" Brennault promised the lizard. Marvel chirped.

"Journeyman," the guard called in when the noise lulled for a moment.
"The runner lad is here to see you again."

"Brennault!" There was a brief wait while Lorican put down his tools and
set the piece he'd been working on aside, but then he emerged, smiling
warmly. In contrast to the last time they'd met, the drawn look and
worry lines on his brow had disappeared, and he seemed far happier and
more relaxed. "Welcome back. It's good to see you again." He caught
sight of the package the runner carried. "Oh, you've brought the steel?"

Brennault immediately noticed the change in his countenance and smiled
brightly to see it. Something happy had happened, Brennault was sure.

"The steel and the wood for the grip!" he said. "And one more thing. I
got you a bottle of lavender oil." He smiled. "You'll want to dilute it
something like one part lavender to three parts linseed oil before you
use it, though."

"For me?" Lorican blinked in surprise as he relieved Brennault of the
heavy load of steel. "Thank you! I've never been given lavender oil
before." He thought back as he carried the package into the forge and
set it down on his workbench, trying to remember if he'd ever come
across such a luxury in his postings. Perhaps he'd better ask Lusilk how
one used it...

He examined the steel. "This is fine quality, it'll make a good blade.
You got it from Master Dunrik?"

"I did!" Brennault said cheerfully. "For three bolts of very
specifically colored dress fabric, actually. Did I mention that when I
was out this way before?" he wondered.

"I don't think so? Though perhaps I've forgotten. I was...rather
distracted and in a fog, back then, after moving so suddenly." Why did
Master Dunrik want dress fabric, Lorican wondered. He'd never noticed
the Master taking an interest in fine clothes before. Which reminded
him, he ought to write and tell him about Lusilk's safe arrival, and her
condition. "Actually, a lot has happened since you were last here."

"Do you have time to tell me about it?" Brennault wondered. "Now that
Marvel is trained well enough to trust with messages, I don't have to
make my ride wait here for me, so I've got plenty!"

"Da!" A young boy burst out of a nearby building to run towards
Lorican. With a face smeared with dirt and with pants caked with mud,
Silgan darted away from the crecheworkers who were in the process of
following him. "They can't find mama and they said I have to take a
bath right away. I was just playing with Brylex and Yavin and
_they're_ not taking a bath right now! Do I have to take a bath? Can't
I play more?"

"Oh, no!" Lorican crouched down as the young boy ran up to him. "Not a
bath! How awful," he teased. How had the boy ever managed to get so much
mud on him? "Tell you what. If you promise to go and take your bath
straight afterwards, I'll introduce you to my friend Brennault. He's a
runner, and he's been to all sorts of interesting places. And he has a
firelizard! What do you say?"

Brennault's eyes went wide. Where had Lorican managed to find a son
since the last time he had seen him? Then again, considering all of
his secrets, he might have had a son the whole time and never felt
safe telling Brennault about it.

Marvel cheeped at Silgan when Lorican mentioned him, and Brennault
smiled and waved at the boy.

Silgan's eyes flew to Brennault and at the cheep from the little flit,
he ducked behind Lorican and looked around with a shy smile. "I like
firelizards, Da. But I don't like baths. Since mama isn't home, do I
_have_ to?"

"I'm afraid so." Lorican straightened and smiled down at him.
"Otherwise, we'll both be in big trouble with mama when she gets back."
At the boy's pleading gaze, he relented a little. "But you could show
Brennault your forge first, if you like." He gave the creche workers an
apologetic glance, then looked to Brennault, who seemed understandably
surprised. "Brennault, this is my son, Silgan. His mother and I were
married at the Weyrhold... I do have a lot to tell you."

"Well, I haven't got to leave right away," said Brennault. "I can send
Marvel to let my ride know he can come back for me later." Marvel
cheeped and clung more tightly to Brennault. He would prefer not to
have to leave if he did not have to.

Then he smiled at Silgan and offered his hand to shake. "It's nice to
meet you, Silgan!" he said. "Your da and I met on the road once, and
I've been lucky enough to call him my friend since then. You have your
very own forge?" he asked. "That's so awesome!"

Silgan looked up at Lorican and then slowly and cautiously took
Brennault's hand for a quick shake. He'd seen Lorican do the same with
other people, but his mama never did. The mention of his forge,
however, visibly brightened the young boy and he gave a proud smile.
"My Da is helping me build it! It's really neat! Mama says I just get
messy, but she smiles when she says it." He gripped his Da's hand.

"You do get messy." The soft voice sounded from right behind
Brennault, mildly amused, but cautious. Lusilk had silently
approached, studying the two men before deciding to announce herself.
She waved at the creche workers, who nodded and moved away.

"Can't argue with that," Lorican said, looking down at Silgan's grubby
face with a fond grin. He wondered if he'd ever get used to how Lusilk
could appear from nowhere. "Brennault, this is Lusilk, my wife. Lusilk,
my friend Brennault of Dolphin Cove, who's very modestly not mentioned
that he saved my life. When we met out on the road, I'd been injured and
he helped me get to the Weyr."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Brennault said as he made a slight bow
to Lusilk. This all seemed so sudden, and he could not help but wonder
how much this all had to do with the trouble he had been in.

But it was not any of Brennault's business. He did wonder whether
Lusilk would enjoy the lavender oil, though. Just the thought of it
made him smile as he thought of Zavek. He was so close to seeing him
again.

Lusilk inclined her head. "A pleasure." She studied the man, her eyes
flicking over him with more intensity than normal before turning to
Lorican with a raised brow. "When he met you on the road? Not after
your placement at the Hold?" A slight knowing smile lifted her lips,
as though with a joke only between the pair of them. "Lorican's
mentioned you in passing of course. Are you here for a visit? He
didn't tell me that he'd told you where he was."

"I'm here to hire him, more or less – though I'd be lying if I said he
wasn't doing me a huge favor even with what I brought to pay him,"
Brennault explained. His expression remained cheerful, but he noted the
intense gaze and wondered if he might have gotten himself into more
trouble than he realized.

"And Lorican didn't tell me," said Brennault. He would leave out just
who had unless she pressed him. He had a feeling she might be more upset
than she let on.

"No, he found me out. There's no hiding from a runner on a quest! But
luckily, now my brother's debts are cleared up, there's no need for me
to lie low any longer." Lorican glanced at Lusilk, hoping she'd catch on
to the explanation he'd given his friend. "Brennault's commissioned me
to make a sword for one of the dragonriders back at Dolphin Cove. It's
well timed. I needed to forge one to show to the Smith Hall, if I'm to
try for my Master's knots."

She caught on quickly and offered a brief smile, but still studied
Brennault quietly. "Ah. A commision?" Her brows rose with interest;
she'd not seen Lorican forge any kind of blade before. "I didn't know
you knew how. I know Dunrik didn't allow blades made at his furnace."

"Yes, I learned at the Hall. It's a popular class for young smiths,"
Lorican said, smiling at the memory. "And then, my uncle was in the
guards, so I got commissions from him and his friends early on. There
wasn't much call for swords when I was posted to the sea hold, though,
only shorter blades and knives for gutting fish. We'll see how much I
remember."

"I have no doubt it will be superb work!" said Brennault cheerfully.
Even if it was not the best blade in the world, it was going to cost
J'ackt no more than a bit of his time. And the whole quest had led him
to meeting Zavek. It would be worth it just for that.

"I went up past the seahold to the barrier islands when I was working to
get the materials for this!" he said. "Just in time for a hurricane to
arrive, even. Then I got to go diving for little slimy things they use
to make dye."

"A hurricane? Slimy things?" Lorican shook his head in awe. "I've got to
hear more about this quest. It sounds eventful." He glanced up at the
sky, judging the time, then looked to Lusilk. "I thought I might go down
to the tavern with Brennault for a while and catch up. There's not much
work left to do for the Hold today, so I could begin work on the sword
when I get back."

Lusilk gave a minute shrug after another sweeping gaze over Brennault.
Lorican rarely seemed to make time for himself, and she had no
concerns about him. "Of course you'd like to spend time with him." She
inclined her head. "When you get back you can tell me all you like
about what you're trading for your time and effort."

"Ah, yes." Lorican's expression turned a shade guilty. He would have
done the work for nothing - Brennault was a friend, after all. Then he
remembered the lavender oil. "Yes, I'll, uh, show you when I get back."
His cheeks colored at the thought and he cast about for a distraction.
"Oh, Silgan needs a bath, by the way."

Lusilk's brow rose slowly, noting the color, then a sly smirk lifted
her lips. "I'm sure you will." She didn't miss the guilty look,
however, despite the attempt at distraction. She turned to Brennault.
"Don't let him get himself in too much trouble. He tends to get
injured in the oddest ways." She looked down at her son and despite
his protests, picked him up. "Oh no, you're getting a bath. You can
play in your forge later."

"Maaamaa...." Silgan whined and looked at Lorican with large pleading
eyes. Lusilk calmly ignored the protests and carried him away.

Brennault chuckled at the poor boy wanting to escape his bath. He had
more than a few memories of being in his position as a child.

As for Lorican. Brennault hoped that his unusual injuries were a thing
of the past now that things were sorted with his brother's debt.

"I'll keep him on the path, don't worry!" he assured Lusilk as she left.

Lorican gave Silgan a sympathetic wave, then closed up the smithy and
started down the road that led to one of the more respectable taverns.
He had some explaining to do, and that would go better over a pint of ale.

Last updated on the July 21st 2021

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The Quest Nears Completion